It’s late evening and while there are still people working in the building, this section of the academy is sparsely populated. You’re grateful for that, you can compose yourself a little easier that way.
You’re currently sitting on a small stool facing the camera, clad in a nondescript black t-shirt over a pair of grey jeans. The background behind you has been set to a more muted white. Unusually, you’ve also dimmed the lights somewhat in the booth.
In truth, it’s not for theatrics, you’ve just got a splitting headache from trying to go through everything the last few days. Yes, you’d not spoken much to Vanessa on the flight back to LA. Once you’d landed you’d spoken to the contractors and they’d been kind enough to pull a night shift and clean up the damage. Poor Maria had been insistent on staying overnight as well… she was a gem that one.
Then the paperwork and filings for the charges they were wanting to press. The calls back and forth to their lawyer.
You were still concerned about Draconis, so a voicemail left on his number, messages passed on to Kratos, Luna…
And then of course, that... the veritable elephant in the room…
So here you find yourself, about to put things to tape before they burn away any further chance you have of getting a full night’s sleep in for what feels like by this point forever.
Camera on? Yes.
Remote in your hand? Yes.
Click it, no time like the present.
(Hans): In light of recent events, I feel it’s best that you hear directly from me. I feel it’s best you don’t hear it second hand from TMZ, or on the back page of a paper or plastered across a website. These are my words, from the source, direct to you.
And here we go.
(Hans): Who am I? Mein name ist Hans von Richtoven. I am a wrestler, I am husband to a wonderful woman. I am curious and easily fascinated by passionate or skilled people. I am obsessed with perfection.
I am tolerant and feel we all have the same rights to live no matter what we look like, where we come from and who we love.
I love being outside and love nature and its wonders. I’m stubborn and impatient. I can be really annoying.
I like to help people accomplish things they didn’t think they could do. I like chocolate and the smell of fresh bread. My favourite colour is green. I believe in change and progress, and that every little bit makes a difference. I am an optimist and I believe that people are good.
I have been on this earth long enough to understand that that is not always the case though. So here I am, sitting in this chair, looking at the camera in front of me and talking to you.
What I’ve told you so far is no lie. What I tell you now will be held to that same standard.
Time for a deep breath. Ok, let’s keep going.
(Hans): I work in a profession that more often than not tells a story. I work in a profession where more often than not friends on camera are enemies off screen and vice versa. I work in a profession where the man embracing you in the ring could just as easily drive a knife into your back inside the locker room if given half a chance… but you wouldn’t know that. You, the person sitting at home, you wouldn’t know that.
I’m, ’fortunate’, you might say to work for a federation that doesn’t lean into such antics. I work for a federation where, well, what you see is what you get, jah?
I can see how to you, sitting at home or sitting in the arena, sitting at your computer or sitting on the couch looking at your phone, to you, it might not be that clear cut. I get it.
You’re holding one hand to your chest at this. You do get it, things these days get lost in the noise so easily.
(Hans): But I wrestle in the HWA, what you see is what you get. It’s unfiltered, you see us. Not some characters. You see us, warts unt all.
Herr Chaos trying to run over Matt Miller in Chicago. Jah, that was real. Michelle being assaulted by that abschaum Fallen, jah, that was real. Erica Martinez breaking into my home and assaulting a defenseless woman and setting fire to treasured memories and mementoes? Jah. That was real.
Who am I? Mein name ist Hans von Richtoven. I am a wrestler, I am husband to a wonderful woman. Her name is Vanessa von Richtoven. Before she took my name, she was Vanessa Lang. I plucked up the courage to ask her out in late 2010, we were engaged the following year and married the next. We celebrated our ten year anniversary by drinking schnapps under the northern lights…
This next part is going to be difficult to say even though the cat is out of the bag already. What happened, the revelations… It's still such a confusing time.
(Hans): … We’re trying for a child.
There it is. You’ve said it now. No taking it back.
You could have had a son or a daughter years ago… they’d be, what, 10 by now?
Your heart rate thunders as this thought ricochets around your head.
Following close behind but never quite managing to take the lead was the ‘was I even ready?’ line, followed in a pack by a herd of other thoughts. Together it was a cacophony of noise.
Focus!
(Hans): What I’ve told you is no lie. What I’m about to say is the truth. Erica Martinez ist sick. She ist deluded. She is not my fiancée, partner, spouse or whatever else you may call it. Every time she opens her mouth to speak such things, she is lying. She is lying to you, you, the person watching this. She is lying to you, the person who has been told that ‘we’re all friends’ and ‘work colleagues’ and that ‘it’s all make believe’. Nein. She is lying.
Don’t fall for it. Don’t let her lies affect anymore people than it has already.
You exhale slowly.
It’s out now. It’s done, for now.
You remain seated staring into the camera, as the small red light besides the lens blinks out, the scene fading to black along with it.
Message Thread
« Back to index